BBC+ puts all the BBC’s best content in one personalised app on iOS & android

Between news, TV, radio programming and more, the BBC is constantly producing a vast array of content. There’s far too much for any one person to consume, and on top of that it’s all distributed across various websites, iPlayer and the like. As a public service broadcaster, the BBC is required to accommodate a broad range of interests, and BBC+ — a new iOS and Android app launching today — is all about highlighting what’s relevant to you, the licence fee payer that funds it all. Load up the app and you’ll be greeted by the “At a glance” homepage, which offers you a quick look at the weather and a couple of big stories that are capturing the public’s attention. Beyond this, though, it’s a fully personalised experienced based on topics that interest you. You can add any of a long list of editorial themes to the simple horizontal carousel: From local and regional news, specific sports, science, gaming, music, business, politics, health, food, faith, and many, many more. The idea isn’t just to surface news stories, though — the personalised section of the BBC News app does that already — but all kinds of content related to that topic. You might be interested in a specific sport, for example, but would never turn to Radio 5 Live on your morning commute. If, however, there was a particularly good interview or debate on said sport on the previous morning’s breakfast show, it’ll pop up in BBC+. It could be a news story, of course, or it could just as easily be a clip from a TV broadcast you may never have seen otherwise.”

Even though you have to sign in to use the app this does appear as a good way to get the existing personalised desktop experience now on your smartphone.